


Curses and Consequences

by Blaumeise



Category: Guns N' Roses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Attempt at humour, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28590459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaumeise/pseuds/Blaumeise
Summary: The Guns n' Roses fairy tale, complete with cursed princes, dragons, and the quest for true love.
Relationships: Axl Rose/Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan/Slash
Comments: 28
Kudos: 37





	1. The Curse

**Author's Note:**

> Another really old one. Don't take this seriously. As I'm currently snowed in and locked down, I have lots of time to go through the back catalog.

Some people held grudges as if it was their personal approach to life. 

Two days ago, Axl had stopped talking, and since then, Slash had tried every trick in the book to make him open his mouth for anything but putting food into it. He had berated. He had yelled. He had apologized. He had given the silent treatment right back to him. When nothing had worked, he had resorted to begging. Slash never begged. Axl was the most spoiled, bratty prince in all of the large kingdom of Roseland and his ego was big enough without people begging for pearls of his wisdom. 

The last was not his fault, as he was the only prince Roseland had to offer and it didn’t help that people tended to blow sugar up his pampered ass, but Slash was not in a forgiving mood. Two weeks on a horse with only Axl as company. His patient was wearing dangerously thin. 

Now they were back to square one and he would have to start from the beginning: berating.

“You know what, Axl?” he brought his heels to his horse and closed the space between them. “This whole undertaking is pointless. It’s impossible to run from a curse. That’s the nasty thing about curses. They follow you around.”

He had held this speech so many times, he knew it by heart. Once he had recited it in his dreams and another time, he had considered writing a melody to go with it and turn it into a song. If only he were able to play an instrument. He could make a living as travelling bard instead of running after Axl and his idiocies. 

“Lots of princes get cursed. And princesses, too. Happens all the time. Running from it only makes it worse. Really, you should know better."

It happened when a king or a queen annoyed a wizard. Royalty tended to do that. It came with the power and the feeling of being invincible. If you grew up under the impression that the sun was shining out of your ass, you tended to forget that there were people you should better not piss off. 

As a result, the children got cursed. They were transformed into frogs or slept for a hundred years after they pricked themselves on needles. It wasn’t fair, but who said, life was meant to be? You took what it had to offer and dealt with it. And if that didn’t work, you got drunk. The latter was Slash’s personal approach to fate and it was a much healthier one than Axl’s. 

“Each time one of them tries to evade the curse, they get hit anyway. Didn’t you learn anything in your history-lessons?”

“More than you. At least, I wasn’t drunk all the time.”

"Oh, are we talking again? Asshole, that's not fair and you know it."

Maybe it was better if Axl kept his mouth shut. Why had he wanted to make him talk again? Oh yes, because he was his friend and this was what friends did for you. 

Slash let his horse fall back. He hadn’t started drinking before he had turned fifteen or maybe fourteen. Not heavily anyway. And what did he need history for? He wasn’t a prince, no his mother was a chamber-maid, his father completely unknown. The king had hoped that the presence of another boy would make his neurotic son a bit easier to handle. That’s why he had to suffer through boring lessons with Axl, had to endure his temper, his tantrums, his outbursts. And that’s why they were together on this insane journey.

Axl’s curse was his own father’s fault. The old court wizard had been very fond of strong beverages and the day Axl had been born, the long-awaited prince after numerous childless years, the old man had hit the celebratory bottle pretty hard. In his inebriated state, he had turned the king’s favorite dog into a mouse, and then the castle-cat had come along and, well, the rest was history. 

“If your father hadn’t banned the wizard, he wouldn’t have made up this blasted curse,” Slash yelled from behind. “All because of an accident! So please, live your temper out on him and not on me. And anyway, the wizard was too drunk to come up with a real curse. Stop making such a fuss about it.”

Axl couldn’t complain. He had neither turned into a frog on his twentieth birthday nor was he covered with ugly warts or slept for a hundred years. No, the curse said that he would only find love in the arms of a man. One just had to look at Axl to see that it was more of a prophecy than a curse.

“No, Slash, you wouldn’t understand, would you?” Axl reined his horse until he was level with Slash. "You just take them as they come, male or female.”

“So what?” Slash shrugged. “A willing body is a willing body, where’s the difference?” 

For a few months, Slash had even entertained the hope that _he_ was the man Axl would eventually turn to, a short-lived crush he had never mentioned. 

Axl on the other hand saw the difference. Bright and clear and in all the colors of the rainbow. He had plowed his way through every slut, whore, or halfway willing female in the whole kingdom. And Roseland was a big kingdom. Why? To prove his masculinity? It was ridiculous. 

“You’re an idiot,” Axl said. “This is not about fucking, it’s about love!”

“All right,” Slash was not willing to give up. Not yet. They had been riding for two weeks straight and he was fed up. “Then tell me what marrying some unknown princess in some tiny, God-forsaken country at the end of the world, a princess you know nothing about, except that she’s absolutely desperate, has to do with love? How is this going to solve your problem? You can marry her, but you won’t love her. The curse says: no.”

“If I marry her, I’ll surely end loving her. It's what everybody says.”

“Yeah, everybody who keeps a mistress at the side." 

For reasons Slash would never understand, Axl was obsessed with marrying princesses. The only hindrance was that every decent princess knew about the blasted curse and they weren’t suicidal enough to risk their reputation with a prince who one day would run off with some random stable hand. 

“I’m not like that!” Axl wouldn’t give up either. “I won’t cheat on her.” 

Slash rolled his eyes. Axl could bitch all he wanted, the curse would beat him. Nobody scored against a curse. 

Why this ominous princess was willing to take Axl was another riddle. There were exactly two possibilities. One: she had never heard of the curse. Two: she didn’t care. The latter could only mean that she was so horrible nobody dared come near enough to put the ring on her finger.

Two weeks of riding with only Axl as company was not easy, not even for Slash, and when the castle finally appeared at the horizon, he was tired enough to put up with anything. Maybe the marriage would shut Axl up for a while. If only the bride was acceptable. And that was a big if. The messenger had praised her beauty, and her amiability and claimed that she was well versed in playing half a dozen instruments, but if she was so gorgeous, why did she need men running around the world searching for a husband? Something had to be wrong with her. 

Curses were tricky and Slash had his doubts that anything would go as Axl had planned. 

+++

“The king awaits you.” 

The guard bowed almost to the ground when Axl told his name. But he looked curiously around as if he had expected more than just two dirty, travel-weary men.

Axl was a prince, the guard was not wrong to expect an escort. But they had left in the middle of the night, without his father’s permission. The king had much more common sense than his son and although he voted strongly for marriage and children, he had been totally against Axl’s rushed wedding-plans. The choice of a future queen had to be considered carefully he kept declaiming. 

But for unspecified reasons, the messenger, Steven, had insisted that it was now or never. Another hint that something was seriously wrong with Axl’s future bride. 

Slash had worked hard on getting a few more information out of him. The things he did for Axl. They had spent a night in the hay, one he tried very hard to forget. But as Steven had been even drunker than Slash himself, his speech had been so slurred that the only understandable words had been "princess" and "marry" and “right away”. Which was exactly what he already knew.

They were led into the throne-hall and exchanged the usual courtesies. Slash's eyes wandered across the young women lined up behind the queen, but none of them seemed ready to swoon at Axl’s feet. 

“So, when is the princess going to arrive?” The king asked and eyed them with a seed of unease in his voice. 

“Huh?” Axl asked. “How should I know?”

“The princess,” the king repeated. “Aren’t you her escort?”

“Which princess?” Axl's shoulders tensed. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and Slash dreaded the inevitable outburst. 

“The princess that is about to marry my son!” 

“Your son, “Slash said flatly. Just like he had expected. There was no running away from a curse. 

“Your son?” The king flinched at Axl's shrill voice. It took a bit getting used to. “The messenger said you had a daughter. You have one, don’t you?” 

“I only have a son,“ the king repeated angrily. “And I was expecting a princess, not a prince and a, uhm...”

He eyed Slash, obviously unsure about his role. Slash would have helped him out if he had known himself. He was no prince, no knight, no servant. He had just followed Axl around since they had both been little kids, which was more than a full-time job, to be honest. A poorly paid full-time job. 

“This is my only child.” The king waved for a tall, lanky boy with unruly blond hair to step forward. “This is Duff.”

“Hi there.” Duff waved and grinned a bit sheepishly. He didn’t seem too unhappy that he was deprived of his princess. 

“Do you have a sister?” the king asked hopefully. 

“Yes," Axl said. "She is eight years old.”

“Hm. We can’t wait that long.” Then he obviously came to a conclusion. “You’re here, you’re marrying my son. Next Sunday.”

“What?” Axl sputtered. “I’m not! I’m absolutely not!” He turned around and tugged at Slash’s arm. “Come on man, we’ll go home. You were right. This was doomed from the beginning.”

“You’re not leaving,” the king said icily and Slash watched with growing discomfort how more and more armed guards assembled in the hall. 

“Uhm, Axl,” he said, but Axl had noticed, too.

He turned back to the king, green eyes flashing dangerously. 

“You can’t force me! It isn't even possible. There are laws and there's decency and two men can't marry. You wanted a princess. Do I look like a princess?”

“Maybe a little bit.” Duff snickered, but the king thumped him and he fell quiet. 

“It’s your choice." The king's voice was cold. “Laws can be changed. Either you’ll marry my son, or you’ll end your life today.”

“In that case,” Axl lifted his chin and Slash knew he was in for the worst. “I’d rather end my life. It will be the kinder fate.”

Great. Trust Axl to make an impossible situation worse. Oh, why was he surprised, it was his specialty. 

“Ah, come on,” Slash tried to smooth things over. 

This was ridiculous. Sure, it wasn't possible to have two men marry each other. It wouldn't be more than a farce. But Axl’s determination to wed an unknown princess was by no means a well-founded decision either. So what, if the marriage wouldn't hold any legal value, maybe the curse was about to be fulfilled and Duff was the man in whose arms Axl was supposed to find love. Then they could finally lay this drama to rest. 

“He’s not that bad. He looks cute.”

He grinned at the blond prince, who had the decency to blush. Which made him look even cuter. 

“Then why don’t you marry him?” Axl asked annoyed. “You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“He can’t, “the king said sternly and Slash was happy to agree. He hadn’t planned to marry within the next twenty or thirty years. Life was far too precious to be wasted on one person. And he had Axl to take care of. That didn’t leave time for a bride. Groom. Whatever. “He isn’t of royal blood.”

“Oh yes, he is.” Axl smiled and his eyes lit up. Slash gave him a surprised look. 

“No, I’m not,” he said, but Axl moved his head up and down in what was obviously a nod.

“You are. You’re my brother.”

“I’m not!” 

Axl was making this up. Why did Axl always have to come up with these silly ideas? And at the worst possible moment? When they had the choice between getting hitched and getting hanged? Shouldn’t they be plotting their escape?

“Half-brother, to be precise,” Axl added. “A bastard, but nevertheless of royal blood.”

Slash gaped for air. It wasn't true. Couldn't. All right, he didn’t know his father and it was strange for the son of a chamber-maid to grow up with a prince, but nobody else had been able to tolerate Axl’s temper tantrums and still like him. Somehow. 

“You’re not lying?” the king interrupted his thoughts and to his horror Slash saw excitement on his face. 

“Nope.” Axl shook his head. “Why would I keep him around if he wasn’t?”

Well, that hurt, but Slash did not have the time to sulk. 

“In that case,” the king's eyes wandered from Axl to Slash to Duff. “In that case, I accept him as substitute.”

“No!” Slash gasped. “I ... I can’t marry... I”

“Why not?” Axl asked, venom dripping from his tongue. “He’s not that bad. He looks cute. And anyway, I’m the prince. And I order you to marry him.”

Slash stared at Axl. He stared at the king. He stared at Duff who shrugged in apology. He waited for somebody to jump out of his hiding and yell “surprise!” Instead, Axl hugged him and slapped his back.

“Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”

“I’ll kill you, Axl.” Slash closed his eyes in a silent attempt to regain his composure. “For this one, I’m going to kill you.”


	2. The Other Curse

“What!” Slash yelled when he heard the faint knock at his door. 

He wasn’t in the mood to talk. He wanted to be left alone with his whisky-jar and drink himself into oblivion. Only advantage of this marriage was that for once he and not Axl had gotten the better room. He was planning on spending the rest of his free life within these walls, getting drunk and hopefully maintaining that state till Sunday. And thereafter. He would never be sober ever again.

The door was opened slightly and Duff’s blond head peeped through. 

“You,” Slash sighed. “What do you want?”

“Just talk to you,” he said and his brown eyes looked all troubled and earnest. Gods, he was cute. 

“Come in then.” Slash waved his hand in defeat and Duff quickly closed the door behind himself.

“I’m not really allowed in here, you know,” he said and for the first time in days, Slash couldn’t stifle a grin. 

“Ah, but I wouldn’t harm you now, would I?” he said and patted the empty space next to himself on the bed. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

“Thank you.” Duff sat down and folded his hands in his lap. “About this marriage...”

But Slash wasn’t in the mood to talk about the marriage. Two weeks riding with Axl and only with Axl and his prudish attitude had left him a bit restless. If he was about to marry the prince he could as well enjoy the benefits that came with it. Within a week, he would be his anyway, so why wait?

Slash put an arm around Duff’s shoulder and leant in to nuzzle his neck. 

“You know, we could have a bit of fun before that,” he whispered, trying to make his voice sound rough and sexy. It always worked with the stable-boys, but Duff pulled away from him, hands still folded in his lap.

“Oh, but we can’t,” he breathed and Slash gave up with a sigh. 

So, he was going to marry a prude, uptight prince, just great. He and Axl would have been the perfect match. Or maybe Duff just didn’t want him? Nobody had asked him to agree. He had expected a princess, then his father had voted for Axl and now he was settled with Slash. All that within only hours.

Maybe he didn’t even like men and was as disgusted by the prospect of having a man touch him as Axl would have been? Now that was a depressing thought. Slash was not used to being rejected. Normally his favors were very well received. 

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Duff said and a faint blush colored his cheeks. “You’re very attractive and really, I’d love to, it’s just...”

“I know,” Slash interrupted the stuttering. “Decency.”

“Uhm, actually - no.” Duff shook his head. “It’s the curse.”

“The curse,” Slash echoed. “You’re under a curse?”

“Yes. It’s quite embarrassing, but everybody who is going to be with me - that way - without being married to me, is going to die. Immediately.”

“Oh,” Slash said. “Glad you told me before we got to it.”

When had his life turned into a nightmare? First Axl who was determined to make everybody miserable with his pathetic mockery of a curse and now this. Maybe someone had cursed him, too? Apparently, his father was a king, maybe he had been bewitched and nobody had bothered to tell him.

His eyes returned to Duff who still sat next to him, eyes expectant under unruly blond hair. 

“But if you can only be – that way - with somebody who is married to you,” Slash asked, “then why such a hurry? Shouldn’t you make your choice with care?”

“That’s the other part of the curse. And that’s also why my father was so angry. He’s not always this mean. Just worried. He can be a very nice man.”

“I bet,” Slash muttered under his breath. As nice as Axl in one of his less charitable moods. 

“The curse also says that beginning with my 21st birthday, one of my organs is going to explode every year. Until I am married to someone of royal blood.”

“That’s nasty,” Slash had to admit. “How old are you now?”

“I’ll turn twenty-two on Monday.” Duff picked at a loose thread in the bedcover. 

“Twenty-two? But that means...” Slash stared at him. 

“Yes, one’s already gone.”

“Which one?” Slash knew he was tactless, but he was also curious. 

“It’s called pancreas.”

“Never heard of that,” Slash mused. He knew heart, liver, kidney, spleen but pancreas? Maybe he should have paid more attention in all these boring lessons he had had to attend with Axl. 

“Me neither,” Duff admitted. “Not before last year, mind you. But I can tell you, you’ll notice when it explodes. It hurt like hell. I thought I was dying there and then. My parents were pretty scared, too, but the witch, our new witch, not the one that cursed me, she brewed me a potion and here I am!” He threw up his arms and smiled at Slash. “New and improved. Only thing is, if I drink anything stronger than water, I’ll die.”

“Hell,” Slash breathed. No alcohol! “You poor thing.”

He put his arm around Duff’s shoulders, but funnily, the prince didn’t seem dispirited. He took his curse rather well. Much better than Axl that whiny bitch. 

“But why didn’t you marry last year?” Slash asked confused. Was it en vogue to challenge curses? Had he missed a trend? A curse was a curse, it would come true. 

“That’s because of the third part of the curse,” Duff said and Slash groaned. “It says that whoever married me would never give birth to a child.”

“Well, I can live with that one,” Slash laughed. 

“But it’s a flat turn down for each and every princess in the world. They’re all obsessed with giving birth to heirs of the crown and stuff. And since I have to marry someone of royal blood, we only thought of princesses. It was pure desperation that made my father consider you.” Duff shrugged. “This is a very small kingdom, so there really wasn’t anybody willing to marry me. That’s why my father sent out messengers. And he was so relieved when Steven came back and said, he’d found a princess. Steven can be a bit confused sometimes. I guess that’s how the mistake happened.”

“That’s really a hell of a curse,” Slash said. “The witch must have been sick. Do you know if she is related to Axl? How did she keep all this stuff in mind anyway?”

“She had to write it down. I’ve still got the parchment and I thought, maybe you would want to read it.” He pulled a brittle piece of parchment out of his sleeve and handed it to Slash. “Just so you know what you are getting yourself into.”

Slash unrolled the parchment and carefully read the scribbling. 

“Man, she must have hated your father,” he said. “This isn’t a curse. This is a psychotic outburst. She really took pride in making your life miserable. And all this shit she put in there, like ‘his hair shall always be messy’.” 

He looked at Duff, whose hair was really quite tousled and unruly, surely not smooth and shiny like it was expected from a prince. Not like Axl’s silky red hair. But to Slash it was rather appealing. 

“Guess I’m under that spell, too, huh?” he grinned and Duff chuckled.

“And here it says, you’d be so ugly, you’d have to cover your face during daylight.” Slash stopped. “That one is not true. You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you. Our witch was able to undo one of the curses. Sadly, only one. She burned most of her powers while doing it. She chose to make me good-looking to give me a chance to marry and forget about the rest. She underestimated the giving-birth thing. There are princesses who would marry a two-headed donkey if it only got them pregnant.”

Slash continued reading. There was another paragraph, which was written in a smaller print and which he had missed so far. 

“Shit!” he said when he was done. “If I ever sleep with somebody except you, I’ll die?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Duff's head dropped forward and his shoulders slumped a bit. “I could understand if you wouldn’t want me under such conditions. Especially as you don’t want me anyway and as it is against the law and against decency and against everything. Or rather not against the law. My father changed it today. I can talk to him, if you want to. I’m sure he’ll let you go if I ask.”

“What about the organ-explosion?” Slash asked. He swallowed at the lump that suddenly clogged his throat. 

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Duff waved his hand through the air and forced a smile. “I’m sure it’s going to be a small one this time. An eye or maybe a kidney. I’ve got two of those I can spare one. And then I’ve got a whole year to find somebody else.”

Slash stared at the wall. Here he was offered the perfect opportunity to back off. He could pack his things, saddle his horse and be gone. No commitment, no regrets. He would be miles away before Monday and it wasn’t his business anyway. He had to take care of Axl and his curse, which was enough for one man. He didn’t even know Duff, so why bother with his troubles?

“Nah, I can marry you,” he said and Duff’s face lit up like a midsummer-nights-fire. 

“That’s so kind of you,” he said. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

+++ 

Axl wasn’t in a good mood. First his marriage plans had turned into a flop and now Slash was sulking. He had locked himself into that room they had given him and pouted like a three-year-old. It wasn’t fair. Did he really think Axl would leave him to marry that puppy-dog-prince? They would just climb out of the window and be off before anybody noticed.

Or was he still pissed because Axl had dropped the bit about his origin? Had he really been that surprised? With a bit of common sense, he should have suspected it. Slash wasn't stupid. But he wasn’t someone to worry about troublesome things either. Slash mainly used his head to grow curls on it. 

Axl stared out of the window of his own room, which was by no means as big or luxurious as Slash’s. It was a nice country, rolling hills, and far away at the horizon, huge mountains. And behind that? Who knew? 

Axl sighed. He felt lonely and unloved. He was so sick of chasing the love of his life. Maybe Slash was right, maybe it was just stupid to ignore the curse. Maybe Duff would have been the fulfillment of the prophecy, maybe he should have just given in. Too many maybes for someone like Axl. 

Slash was chasing after young men all the time and nobody laughed at him, but Axl? He was so skinny and his features weren’t exactly masculine either. Everybody called him prissy and bitch, only behind his back of course. He just didn’t want to be like that. Why was it so difficult to understand?

He opened the window and looked down into the yard. Preparations were made for the wedding, deliveries were stored away, messengers were sent out. Nobody seemed to care that the expected bride hadn’t arrived and was replaced by a groom. Nobody seemed to care that the king just knocked over laws and decencies to get his son married either. 

Axl’s eyes traveled back to the grey mountains at the horizon. He shouldn’t ride home, not yet. Something had to be behind those mountains. He could go on, travel further north. Together with Slash.

Slash.

Axl heaved another sigh. He had an apology to make. They were brothers, and even without the slightest notion of it Slash had been as loyal as a friend could be. Usually, he would have waited a day or two until Slash forgave him, but this time Axl had to admit that an apology was in order.

He left his room and strolled along the corridors to the wing Slash had been accommodated to. Hesitantly he lifted his hand and knocked, wondering whether Slash was still conscious or too drunk to answer.

To his surprise the door was opened almost instantly.

“Axl.” Slash’s face fell. “Come in.”

Axl followed the invitation and felt a bit envious when he saw the room. Who was the prince here?

“Want a drink?” Slash waved the whisky-jar into his direction and Axl noticed that it was half empty. 

“I’m sorry,” he said before he could think twice about it. 

“You’d better be,” Slash grunted and sat down on the bed. He still looked quite sober to Axl but you never knew with Slash. 

He took a chair and dragged it over to the bed, sat down and faced his brother directly.

“Look,” he said. “I knew about our father, that’s right. But I wasn’t allowed to tell you. It just slipped today because I was so angry.”

“Since when do you bother about what you’re allowed to do?” Slash ran his hands through his curls and Axl almost regretted that they were brothers. If they weren’t, Slash might have very well been the man he could fall in love with. 

“I didn’t think it would be good for you to know. Your father is a king and still you’re just ...”

“Say it Axl,” Slash demanded quietly. “Just what?”

“I’ve never treated you like anything less than my friend.” 

Slash seemed so desolate. It wasn’t like him. Not at all. 

“That’s what you are. My friend. You know that.” 

He wished he could stroke the fingers that clenched the whisky-jar. 

“Am I? I don’t know anymore.”

“Sure, you are!” Axl tried to sound hearty. “Is it because of the prince? You think I’m letting you down? I wouldn’t. We can run off and go home tonight. They are so busy organizing the festivities, nobody’ll notice.”

“No.” Slash shook his head. 

“What no? Don’t tell me, you want to pull through.”

“Yes.” 

Axl wondered how drunk Slash really was. “There is this curse,” he started and Axl groaned. 

“Forget about the curse,” he said, but Slash interrupted him rudely. 

“Not your curse,” he snapped. “Duff’s curse. Which is a real one, not a makeshift-pussy-curse like yours.”

He held out a piece of parchment and Axl snatched it out of his hand. He was so fed up with Slash mocking him and his curse. It was a curse, dammit. Maybe not a lethal one, but it was bad enough the way it was. Having all and sundry making fun of it didn’t help one bit!

“What’s this?” he asked and unrolled the parchment, eyes growing wide as he read through the text. 

“Hell," Axl said and stared at Slash. “Somebody had a pretty bad day.”

“See? And Monday is Duff’s 22nd birthday. He’s already lost an organ and if I don’t put an end to this, nobody will.”

“But Slash!” Axl was exasperated. “Are you sure you read all of it? Including the small print? You can’t sacrifice yourself for him!”

“Why not?” He took another swig and placed the jar on the floor. Then he lay back on the bed, folded his arms behind his head, and closed his eyes. “I don’t think I could go home after this.”

“But why?” 

Why should Slash prefer to throw his life away when they could return and make a new attempt at finding a princess? What should he do without Slash? He’d always been there. All the things they had done together. All the scrapes hey had gotten into. Life wouldn’t be the same without Slash.

“He’s really my father?” Slash asked. “Our father?”

“Yes. That’s what he told me on my 21st birthday.”

Slash sat up again and reached for the jar. He nearly emptied it before he put it down again. 

“He never cared for me."

“Of course, he did,” Axl protested, but Slash’s hollow laugh stopped him. 

“I remember one time he spoke to me. Really, it’s the only thing he’s ever said to me. I was eight or nine years old. I had sneaked into the throne room and he came in before I could make and run. Wanna know what he said?”

“What?” Axl asked. He was feeling more and more uncomfortable. 

“Go away. The only words my father ever said to me. Go away.”

“I wasn’t allowed to play in the throne room either,” Axl said, knowing how inappropriate the comment was. 

“No.” Slash’s voice sounded dead. “Of course, you weren’t.” 

It was true, Axl mused. Nobody had ever cared for Slash. Except him, of course. His mother had died young and Slash had simply been there. Like the dogs or the castle-cat. He had been Axl’s playmate, his friend, his companion, his partner in crime. He had seemed content with what he was, so why this sudden meltdown? He was a bastard for God’s sake. He’d known that before. Did it make such a difference that his father was the king? 

“Slash.” Axl moved over to the bed and sat down next to him. He would have liked to lay his arm around Slash’s shoulder, but they weren’t kids anymore. 

“It’s all right.” Slash’s back straightened. “It doesn’t matter. I want to stay here and marry Duff. It might be my only chance at making a difference. Do the right thing for once. He’s suffered enough. He doesn’t deserve anymore pain.”

Axl nodded. It was all he could do. When Slash made up his mind he could be as stubborn as a donkey. 

“Will you stay for the wedding or do you want to leave tomorrow?”

“Of course, I’m staying!” Axl was scandalized. “My little brother is getting hitched. I wouldn’t miss that for anything.”

And then he did put his arm around Slash and hugged him close.


	3. The Loss

Izzy Stradlin felt like an asshole. He should be happy for Duff, instead, he felt like crying.

“It’s all so weird,” Duff said folding his long legs under himself as he sat down on the bed. 

Izzy was used to Duff coming to him with his problems. He’d done that since they’d both been little kids. But today he wished Duff would leave him alone to mourn in private. 

“I’d never imagined that it would be a man. Everybody kept talking about princesses. I had never considered that it could be somebody who was not a princess. It had been absolutely clear for me that it would be a princess.”

Duff had babbled this or similar sentences at least a dozen times in the last ten minutes and Izzy knew, if he wanted him to stop, he’d have to participate in the conversation.

“Are you unhappy with this solution?” he asked and against better knowledge he put his arm around Duff and allowed him to nestle against him. 

“No. Just confused, that’s all. And happy that it’s coming to an end. I’ve always known that I wasn’t supposed to die under this curse. And see? Everything’s solved.”

Yes, Duff had been born with a sunny disposition. He was friendly, good-natured and not as stupid as everybody liked to think. He just refused to spend his life worrying about the curse that was hanging above his head. His deep belief that he would survive might appear naive, but it had never failed to impress Izzy. 

“You’ve always been my friend, Izzy,” Duff whispered and his head fitted so perfectly against Izzy’s neck. How often had he held Duff like this? He had stopped counting. Would he be allowed to do it in future? Or would there be this other man doing it for him? Was he able to love Duff like Izzy loved him? No, surely not. But he held the power to save Duff’s life and that was enough for Izzy to step back without a word. 

He was glad he had never told Duff about his feelings. It would have been an unnecessary complication. Izzy was not able to save Duff, he wasn’t of royal blood. They couldn’t be lovers without one of them getting killed, so why bother Duff with feelings he wasn’t allowed to return? Izzy wasn’t cruel enough for that.

“I’m happy for you,” he said and pressed a kiss into the tousled blond hair. “You’re not afraid, are you?”

“No.” Duff vehemently shook his head. “Well, maybe a little bit.” 

“It’ll be all right,” Izzy soothed, when he didn’t feel it to be all right at all. Who was this guy, they were giving Duff to? They knew nothing about him. But they had no choice. Slash could be a raving maniac, he still remained their only hope. Izzy remembered Duff’s 21st birthday far too well to take any risks in that matter.

He had been sitting with Duff through the day, unsure what was about to happen. The whole day the prince had been fine and then, when the sun had set, he had collapsed in Izzy’s arms, his eyes wide with pain and fear, unable to move, unable to scream. Izzy had screamed instead and then he had held him, sure it would be the last time he’d do so. They had taken Duff away from him and the witch had brewed the potion that had saved his life. 

No, there was no choice. Duff had to marry, because even the witch had doubts, he could go through something like that for a second time.

“I’ll always be there for you, you know that.” Izzy hugged Duff close one more time.

“I know.” Duff sniffed and sat up. He could be sentimental at times. “And I don’t want to sound whiny. I mean, look at Slash. He’s handsome, he’s kind and I think he almost cares about me. Maybe one day he will. It’s more than I had ever expected. I had started thinking that I would have to be content with someone insane or stupid or dead-ugly, and see what I got!”

“Then what’s bothering you?” 

“The wedding-night,” Duff breathed barely audible. “You know I couldn’t make any experiences.”

Yes, Izzy knew. Far too well. 

“And now it’s not a princess, it’s … somebody not a princess.”

“Oh, that,” Izzy said. “Don’t let that bother you. It’s just a different hole, the rest is the same.” He knew what he was speaking about. In contrast to Duff, Izzy had been very busy with making experiences, hoping to find someone capable of smothering the fire that was burning inside him. Without success. 

“But it’s my hole, that _is_ a difference." 

“Oh, no,” Izzy shook his head. “You’re the prince, you decide what goes where. Don’t let him take over.”

“I shouldn’t, should I?” Duff sighed. “But Slash is making such a sacrifice. I feel I should leave the decision to him.”

“Sacrifice?” Izzy tucked at a strand of Duff’s shaggy blond hair. “Where’s the sacrifice in this? You’re a prince and what is Slash? The bastard son of a chamber-maid.”

“Don’t call him that!” Duff scowled.

“Don’t be stupid,” Izzy chided. “I don’t mind that he’s a bastard, you know that. I’m one myself, remember?”

“You’re a foundling,” Duff corrected. 

“And very likely a bastard.” Izzy grinned. It wasn’t a sore point for him. Things like that happened and apart from that life had been good to him. “If the stargazer hadn’t read that my path was entwined with yours, I would have been sent to the orphanage. I really don’t mind the bastard-part. But you’re going to be king one day and marrying a future king is more than Slash could ever hope for. So, don’t call it a sacrifice.”

“I don’t think he’s doing it for that reason.”

Izzy nearly laughed at the pout on Duff’s face, but his throat was so tight, it would have hurt too much. 

“Are you hoping for romance, Duff?” he asked and cupped his cheek. “After telling me year after year that there would never be love for you? Could not, because you would only kill with your love?” 

And hadn’t Izzy agreed? Hadn’t it nearly broken his heart to watch Duff live with this legacy? It had never seemed to pull him down, as no evil seemed to be strong enough to affect him. But Izzy had dreaded the day Duff would fall in love only to have his heart broken the way his own had years ago. 

“No. That would be stupid.” He blushed and Izzy hoped for him, hoped with all the strength of his own wounded heart that Slash would cherish the treasure he was about to receive. Izzy had severe doubts he deserved it at all.

+++

Dinner was a tedious experience for Axl. He was seated next to a brooding, unfriendly man called Izzy Stradlin, while Slash was entertaining his soon to be… eh… bride? Or was Slash the bride? Not that it mattered. They were flirting shamelessly, and Axl was reasonably sure that Slash was molesting Duff’s knee under the table. He watched with utter disgust how Duff laid his pale hand onto Slash’s dark arm and bent over to whisper something into his ear to make Slash smile.

Everybody was delighted except Axl. Oh, and that idiot Izzy of course, who kept scowling into Slash’s direction.

“You don’t seem happy with the engagement,” Axl started the conversation. 

He was fed up with staring onto his plate and being left out by everybody, just because he hadn’t jumped at the opportunity to marry their beloved prince. In addition, he was curious why his neighbor didn’t show any signs of joy.

“Are you?” Izzy asked back

“Slash was forced to agree at sword-point,” Axl replied, conveniently leaving out his own role in this scenario.

“That’s bullshit,” Izzy snorted. “Duff gave him a chance to back off, you know that. He’s too nice a person to force himself onto anybody.” 

“How noble,” Axl muttered under his breath and reached for another piece of chicken. He wasn’t hungry, but eating gave him something to do. “Then why aren’t you singing songs of joy like everybody else?"

“I am happy,” Izzy sighed and his brown eyes looked so sad, Axl nearly felt pity for him. It was so obvious what was going on.

“You want him for yourself, don’t you?” He stifled a grin when Izzy scowled. “What’s the problem? Doesn’t he want you? Oh, wait, you are not of royal blood, are you?” 

Slash’s hand was now lying on top of Duff’s and the way they smiled at each other was just sickening. 

“Didn’t take him long to forget about you.”

Axl didn’t waver under Izzy’s murderous gaze. He was fun to bait and Axl didn’t have anything better to do. 

“Or didn’t you tell him?” 

Izzy’s face went blank and Axl couldn’t stifle a laugh. 

“Hell,” he gasped. “Don’t tell me you were worshipping your prince all the time and never said a word. Didn’t he notice?”

“Shut up,” Izzy muttered and returned to his food

“I’m right then?” Axl eyed his neighbor with interest. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

“None of your business.” Izzy attacked a piece of meat as if it was about to bite him. 

“You’ll find someone else,” Axl said lightly. This was becoming more and more fun. “Once Slash’s been up his ass, he’ll lose the attraction that comes with innocence.”

“Will you please shut up, or I’ll have to eviscerate you on top of the table and ruin everybody’s meal!” Izzy snarled, pointing his knife into Axl’s direction.

“Don’t be so sensitive, I’m just... Where are they?” 

Izzy followed Axl’s gaze to Slash’s and Duff’s chairs that were both vacated.

“Shit,” Izzy spat and jumped up. “Come!” 

They got a few curious glances, but Axl didn’t care. He followed Izzy out of the room curious what this was all about. Slash and Duff were grown up men and if they didn’t want to wait until the wedding-night it was …

Panic hit Axl with a pang. Slash was half drunk, he was sure as hell horny, he always was, and Duff had behaved like a stupid, blond slut all evening.

“I swear,” Izzy rambled on. “If this idiot-brother of yours gets himself killed, because he couldn’t keep his hands to himself, I’ll make you marry Duff on Sunday. And I don’t care whether I have to beat you senseless in order to do that.”

“If your beloved prince kills Slash with his damned curse, you won’t have to worry about a marriage anymore,” Axl shouted back. “In that case, I’m personally going to make his organs explode one by one.” 

They stormed along the corridor, knocking over a few servants in the process. 

“Where would they go?” Axl asked out of breath when Izzy stopped in front of him.

“Shsh,” he hissed. “Look!”

Axl heaved a relieved sigh. Duff and Slash were on a small balcony, he could see them through the open door. Duff was sitting on the stone railing and Slash was standing in front of him, talking too softly to be heard. Axl was just about to make a nasty comment, when Slash brushed Duff’s hair back and stroked his cheek with more gentleness than Axl would have given him credit for. His hand moved downwards, lifted Duff’s chin an inch and then Slash bent forward to kiss him. It was hesitant at first, as if he wasn’t sure, but Duff’s arms came up in response. He wrapped them around Slash’s neck and Slash pulled him up and into a deep, long kiss.

“He’s done that before,” Axl hissed. “How many dead bodies did he leave in his wake?”

“None, you moron.” Izzy glared at him. “He wanted to know what it feels like and I showed him. It was purely academic.” 

“You really like to torture yourself, don’t you?” Axl asked, but all venom had gone from his voice. Duff and Slash had eventually separated from each other and were just standing there, oblivious towards the world around them. Slash was holding Duff’s hands in his, still talking. Slash never talked much, so what did he have to say, all of a sudden?

The prince dropped a kiss onto Slash’s lips, then a second and a third. Slash pulled him into his arms and hugged him. 

Izzy just stared. His eyes appeared almost black and his expression was so full of longing that Axl's need to annoy him any further vanished. 

“Come,” he said and tucked at Izzy’s sleeve. “I don’t think they’re going to do anything stupid.”

Izzy turned his eyes to Axl and nodded in defeat.

“Come on!” Axl tossed an arm around his shoulders. “Let me buy you a beer. Getting drunk is the only way to cure a heartache.”

“You’re right.” Izzy’s shoulders squared and a wistful smile played across his lips. “But if that idiot-brother of yours isn’t going to treat Duff with all the love and respect he deserves, then I’ll personally kick his sorry ass out of the castle once he’s fulfilled his purpose.”

Axl grinned. “And if your puppy-prince doesn’t make Slash happy, he’ll wish for the rest of his life, he’d settled for watching his organs explode.”


	4. The Quest

“What do you mean, he’s gone?” Izzy sat up in his bed, unable to grasp a clear thought. It was still very early, well, just past noon, and he had a raging headache. Axl had filled his mug again and again and Izzy had been happy to let him do so. So why couldn’t he sleep it off in peace, why on earth was Duff kneeling next to his bed, looking at him with big, red eyes. Had he been crying?

“He’s gone,” Duff repeated and fresh tears rolled down his face. “They can’t find him anywhere and his bed hasn’t been used last night.”

“Slash is gone?” Only now did the meaning of Duff’s words hit Izzy like a brick in the head. “When... how?” He rubbed the last traces of sleep out of his eyes and scratched his aching head.

“Tonight, after we... after he said good-night to me.” Duff’s head dropped forward until it rested on the bed. 

“Duff,” Izzy put his hand into the blond hair. “This must be a mistake. I’ve seen how he was with you, yesterday. He seemed happy.”

“Maybe this was too much for him,” Duff sobbed. “To be tied to me for the rest of his life. The curse is just too horrible to put up with. Nobody in their right mind would do that.” He sat up and wiped the tears away, carefully schooling his features. “I just wished he’d said good-bye instead of leaving like that.”

“No!” Izzy climbed out of bed. He scrambled into his clothes and grabbed his sword. “He’s not doing that. That bastard! I’ll get him for this.” His headache had turned into red hot pounding fury. He would kill Slash. No, he would chase him down, pull his sorry ass over to the witch for the blessing, and he would stand watch with his sword in hand while the blasted marriage was consummated. And Duff would be on top! And then, only then, would he kill Slash! Slowly. And he would revel in every single moment of it.

“Izzy, no!” Duff clang to his arm, but for once Izzy was determined not to give in. To give Duff hope like that, to steal himself into his heart only to crush it without a second thought. That coward! He stormed out of the room, Duff closely on his heels when they ran into Axl and the king. 

“You!” Izzy yelled, waving his sword through the air in a not very coordinated way. “Get out of my eyes, or I’ll run you through.”

“Izzy!” Duff had gotten hold of Izzy’s sleeve and pulled vehemently. “This isn’t helping anybody.”

“Slash didn’t run,” Axl said. His face was pale and hard. “He wouldn’t do that!”

“No?” Izzy sneered. But he let his sword sink until the tip rested on the ground. Axl looked pretty disheveled, as if he too had fallen out of bed this morning. Whatever was going on here, he wasn’t part of the scheme. 

“Let’s consult the witch,” the king ordered. “It doesn’t help if you run off unprepared, Izzy. It would do more harm than good.”

“Come,” Duff said and took Izzy’s arm. “It’ll be all right.” 

It seemed to take ages until Ludmila, the witch, was done looking into her crystal ball and burning pungent ingredients to see through the smoke. In the meanwhile, Duff was sitting on the only chair in her dungeon, his face completely blank and grey. Never had Izzy seen him like this, utterly crestfallen and without the tiniest spark of hope. If Slash didn’t come up with a very good explanation, Izzy would make him pay.

Axl was pacing the room like a caged animal while the king seemed completely at loss at what to do. He was relying on the witch to find a solution, Izzy knew that, but for once, he was sure the only way out was to fight. Maybe this was the moment his own prophecy would come true. It said that he would one day defend Duff's life. It was the reason why the king had kept him in the castle, why he had been trained to handle a sword and hold his own in battle. Duff didn’t like the prophecy, he was not fond of fighting and definitely not of killing, but he had learned to accept it. 

The smoke cleared eventually and the witch came back out of her trance.

“And?” the king asked. Axl stopped pacing and Izzy made a step forward. 

“It was Miranda,” the witch said.

Izzy closed his eyes and considered banging his head against the wall.

“How?” he asked instead and cast Duff a concerned look. 

His face was ashen, his eyes wide and he was wringing his hands in poorly concealed fright. This would be too much for Duff. If Miranda had killed Slash, he wouldn’t survive it.

“She abducted him out of his room last night. And she took him to her cave in the mountains.”

“He’s still alive?” A tiny flicker of hope flared up in Izzy’s heart. If Slash was still alive, they would get him back.

“Yes,” Ludmila confirmed. “But it’s a long way to go and we don’t have much time.”

“Would anybody care to clue me in?” Axl interrupted angrily. “It’s Slash we’re talking about, he’s my brother, so who is this bitch and what does she want?”

“It’s the witch who cursed me,” Duff said. Izzy watched him in astonishment. He had expected a complete meltdown, but, no, Composed and with firm steps, he walked over to them. “How do I get him back?”

“You will have to ride to her cavern. The key to the door is guarded by a dragon. If you find the key, you’ll still have to fight Miranda.” 

Ludmila stroked Duff’s cheek. She had always been fond of him, from the day of his birth when she had used nearly all of her power to undo a tiny part of Miranda’s curse. 

“I wish I could help you, my child, but you know my powers are more of the healing kind.”

“I know,” Duff said, but his voice did not waver. “How do I find the way?”

“You are not going!” Izzy interrupted. “I’m going, you’ll stay put and wait for me to come back with Slash.”

“And I’m going with you,” Axl added, face stubborn. “No bitch is going to keep my brother prisoner. I don’t care how strong her powers are.”

“I’m not staying here,” Duff replied. “Don’t try to argue with me, Izzy, I’m going.”

“He’s right,” Ludmila said and Izzy wanted to slap her. Where was the sense in sending Duff out to fight a witch? “There won’t be enough time for you to find Slash and bring him back. You’ve got no more than five days and unlike Miranda, you can’t fly. You’ve got to ride.”

“But how do we get them married, if there isn’t enough time?” Izzy asked full of despair. “Don’t we need the blessing?”

“I can give you the blessing now, Duff,” the witch said. “It will hold until you consummate the marriage. But you still have to do that.”

“And Slash?” Duff asked. “How does he get the blessing?” 

“From you and through you.”

“Then do it.” Duff knelt down and bowed his head, while Ludmila spoke the ancient words over him. 

It wasn’t right, Izzy thought. Duff shouldn’t be forced to receive the blessing alone, without Slash at his side, not even sure whether he would ever see him again. Why couldn’t anything in Duff’s life work the way it was supposed to? 

“Stand up,” Ludmila said when she was done. “I have this gift for you.” She took Duff’s hand and slipped a ring onto his finger. “As long as you carry this ring, you will never lose your way.”

“Thank you,” Duff said and sniffed.

Then she turned to Izzy. “Izzy”, she said and laid both her hands onto his shoulders. “For you, I have this vial.” She handed him a small vessel that contained a shimmering fluid. “It might very well be your only chance at beating Miranda. Throw it into her face and it will block her magic powers, but only for a short time, a day or two not more. It took me years to brew this potion, so be very careful with it. I might need years to come up with another vial.”

“And what do I get?” Axl asked when Ludmila didn’t seem to have a gift for him. Izzy smirked at the hurt expression on his face. Obviously, Axl wasn’t used to being left out. “I’m going, too, after all.”

Ludmila smiled and beckoned him nearer. Axl stepped forward and she put a hand onto his head. “For you I have a special blessing. Whatever it is you are looking for; you will find it on this quest.”

“That’s all?” Axl looked a bit unhappy. 

“That’s all.” Ludmila bowed forward and kissed his forehead. 

+++

Axl felt a strange, giddy excitement when the three of them mounted their horses and left the castle under the worried, yet hopeful eyes of its inhabitants. It was the first time he went out to seek adventures, the first time he would do something really dangerous, something that might prove that he was more of a man than anybody gave him credit for. He was still a bit annoyed that he hadn’t gotten a real gift from the witch, something cool, a magic sword or at least a potion like Izzy. Crap, even Duff’s blasted ring was better than a blessing. 

“What does that mean, you’ll find what you’re looking for?” Izzy had asked.

“Suppose, it means, that we’ll find Slash. It’s Slash we’re looking for, isn’t it?” But if Axl was honest, he didn’t believe in his own words. Blessings were as tricky as curses and he had made his experiences in that area.

They rode one after the other on the narrow path through the moorland. Duff, tall and upright, was leading on a grey gelding as the ring showed him the way, followed by Izzy’s brown mare and at the end Axl on his white stallion, with Slash’s horse tied to his saddle. 

Duff was a surprise to Axl. He had expected whining and crying and other prissy behavior, but no, the opposite was the case. Yes, the gentle, innocent demeanor was still there, but Duff also expressed a determination that bordered on scary. He had been the first down in the yard, the first to drive his horse out of the gate, and all the rest of them did was run after him. 

He started to see, why Izzy was so smitten with the prince, he was so much more than he appeared to be. 

They rode for three days without speaking more than a few words. Duff led them with unerring certainty over narrow paths through swamps, moors and mountains. The landscape turned harsh and empty but no less impressing in its rough, austere beauty. The horses climbed up over rocks and gravel, carefully placing their hooves on treacherous ground. 

They hardly took the time to sleep a few hours at night and hadn’t it been for the horses, they wouldn’t have rested at all. And still, Axl felt more content than he had in a very long time. When he closed his eyes at night, he still felt his horse’s regular movements in his limbs and to see Izzy’s upright body on the horse before him hour after hour gave him courage that they would not only find Slash, but bring him home safe and alive. 

“The dragon’s cave,” Duff said on the fourth day, when they stopped in front of a large hole in the mountain. 

“What do we do now?” Axl asked. 

His stallion nervously pawed the ground and shook his head as Axl shortened the reins. It was no more than early afternoon but the mountains were so high around this canyon that the ground was never touched by sunlight. He shivered in the growing shadows and moved his horse a bit closer to Izzy’s. 

“Find a safe place to leave the horses,” Izzy said rationally. “Behind those rocks would be good, there’s even a bit of grass and a stream is running by.”

They dismounted and led the animals away from the cave. There were no trees, nothing to tether a horse to, so they just tied their forelegs together and left them to graze. Axl hugged himself and waited for Izzy to say something. But Izzy just stared at the large, black hole in the wall. 

“We’d need a virgin,” Axl joked. The silence was getting to him. Not even birds seemed to find their way up to this canyon. 

“What did you just say?” Izzy turned around and stared at him as if he’d grown horns.

“I’d said, we’d need a virgin,” Axl repeated. “Dragons like virgins or so I’ve heard. We should have thought to bring one.”

“We’ve got one.” Izzy looked at Duff who worried his lower lip while nestling at his sword-belt.

“Guess, that’s me, huh?” he said and tried a smile. “Do I just go in there or what?”

“We leave Axl with the horses,” Izzy said. “You and me, we go in and try to find that key.”

“Are you mad?” Axl hissed. He didn’t like this plan. He didn’t like Izzy going into that cave and he sure as hell didn’t like to be left behind. “What do you expect? Little illuminated arrows pointing out the way? It’s a huge, fucking cave with a huge fucking dragon in it, the key won’t be just lying around.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Izzy snapped. “Have a nice cup of tea with the dragon?”

“You can’t just go in there!” Axl insisted. He would not stand by and watch those two idiots getting themselves killed. 

“Axl’s right,” Duff said and Axl cast him a grateful glance. “You can’t. But I can. It’s true, dragon’s have a thing for virgins.”

Izzy’s face obtained an exasperated expression as he now turned his attention to Duff.  
“You’re not going in there on your own,” he started, but Duff stilled him by taking his face into both his hands.

“You’re my best friend, Izzy,” he said. “And I’ve always followed your advice because I trust you. If I had to lay my life into somebody’s hands, it would be yours. But this is a way I have to go alone. I love you like a brother, Izzy, love you with all my heart and I would never go as far as calling you a slut, but you sure as hell are no virgin.”

“That’s a damn long speech for you,” Izzy said and his head dropped when Duff released his face. 

“Have faith in me,” Duff said. 

Izzy nodded.

“Be careful,” he said. “You hear me? No heroics.” He hugged Duff and Axl thought his eyes were a little brighter than usual

“Good luck, man,” he said and patted Duff’s shoulder. 

“Guess, I’ll need that.” Duff took a deep breath. 

Axl and Izzy watched silently as he drew his sword, marched over to the big, black hole and was swallowed by the darkness.

+++

For the hundredth time, Slash tried to worm his hands out of the shackles. His wrists were already chafed and bloody. He knew that he could not break free, but he just couldn’t stop trying. He had no idea, how long he had already been sitting in this dark, damp hole, chained to the wall with a three-feet-long chain, but it seemed to be an eternity. 

He kicked at the bowl with food and watched with satisfaction as its contents splattered over the floor. The rats would clear up eventually and Slash wasn’t hungry anyway. He was far too worried to think about something like eating. 

Axl would find him, he told himself. The wedding would take place in time and everything would be fine. Just fine. 

The door shrieked and swung open. There she was again. Slash looked at the woman with unconcealed hatred. The woman who had sneaked into his bedroom. The woman who had abducted him. Before he had found the time to say anything, she had thrown some powder into his face and Slash had lost consciousness. He had woken up in this dungeon, only to learn, that _she_ was the witch who had brought all this misery over Duff. And she wasn’t willing to stand aside for once and watch him be happy.

“How do you feel today?” she chirped, false friendliness dripping sweet as honey from her lips. “Today is your wedding-day.”

“Fuck you,” Slash said calmly. “They’ll find me. I told you so before. You don’t know Axl, he won’t give up.”

“Your little red-headed friend?” she asked. “Maybe, but it will be too late for Duff. Poor thing. Tomorrow is his 22nd birthday.”

“They’ll be here in time.” Slash said. He had repeated those words like a mantra. It was the only thing he could do to keep the panic from taking over. Axl was a stubborn, determined bastard and he would be here in time to safe Duff’s life. 

The witch smiled and it turned Slash’s stomach. 

“Let me humor you,” she said. “Your friends are on their way. But they won’t be able to find you in here. And even if they were...” She threw a handful of green powder into his face and murmured words in a language Slash couldn’t understand. 

“What was that, you bitch,” he coughed and tried to rub the stuff out of his eyes. 

“Just a precaution,” she laughed. “If they manage, and that’s a big if, to bring you and the prince together in time, you won’t be able to perform.”

“What?! Are you out of your mind?" Slash rubbed some more at his eyes, and then he felt it. Or better, he felt nothing. She had paralyzed his cock. That fucking bitch had paralyzed his cock! “Doesn’t matter,” he sneered, “Duff can do me. And believe me, his cock is in working order.”

“But will he be able to get in?” She leant forward and ran a black fingernail over Slash’s cheek. “We’ll see.”

“What did you do to me, you bitch?” He felt the urge to leash out, but didn’t dare.

“Let’s just say, I closed the road to paradise,” she chuckled.

Slash closed his eyes to keep himself from kicking, beating, anything. It wouldn’t help Duff, if she killed him in a flare of rage. She seemed to have the intention to let him live, she had told him so before.

“Why so angry?” she asked and Slash opened his eyes again. “Just two more days and you are free to go. I have no quarrel with you; you just got into the way. And don’t pretend you love him, you hardly know him”

Slash didn’t answer. What difference did it make, that he had known Duff for only one day? He was the sweetest creature on earth, never in his life had Slash met someone like him. Who needed more than a day to fall in love with Duff?

“You think, you love him?” Miranda laughed without real humor in her voice. “How sweet. But that’s not going to help any of you, now is it?”

“You know what?” Slash said. “I don’t care. Even if you’re successful this time, even if Duff has to lose another organ, he’s stronger than you can imagine. He’ll survive and I will marry him or you have to keep me here for the rest of my life.”

“But this time it will be so much harder for the little prince,” she said sweetly and Slash wanted to rip her guts out. “That’s your fault. You wounded his heart. Do you think he will survive without a heart?”

“No.” Slash shook his head. “It won’t be his heart.” Couldn’t.  
She smiled and Slash knew she was honest. She wasn’t making this up to torture him.

“Poor little Prince Duff. But at least, his miseries will come to an end.”


	5. The Dragon

Axl wished they could build a fire. He had looked around for twigs, but there was nothing that would burn longer than a few minutes. Izzy hadn’t said a word since Duff had left them, he just sat unmoving, his back up against a rock, and kept staring at the entrance, waiting for his prince to safely return.

“Do you want some bread?” Axl asked and skimmed through the contents of his saddlebag. “We still have some cheese left and a little sausage.”

“I’m not hungry.” 

“You don’t do him a favor if you collapse from starvation, you know,” Axl dropped the bread into Izzy’s lap. “We will have to fight eventually and you should take the chance to rest and eat. At least for as long as we are forced to wait.”

“You’re right,” Izzy sighed and unwillingly took a bite of the stale bread. Axl handed him the cheese and the water-bottle. “I just feel I should be in there with Duff.”

“I know the feeling,” Axl replied when he didn’t know it at all. Even now he was fairly confident that Slash was alive and well. He just couldn’t be dead. It was impossible. And although he was concerned for Duff, he had started to trust him. “Duff is made of sterner stuff than you give him credit for.” Without thinking he put an arm around Izzy’s shoulder. “Have a little faith.”

Izzy leant into him and Axl felt oddly proud by this reaction.

“I should, shouldn’t I?” he said. “But I’m so used to taking care of him, ever since we were kids. There is this prophecy, that one day I will fight for Duff’s life, and here I am, eating dinner while he is alone with a dragon.”

“I wouldn’t call this dinner.” Axl brushed the crumbs from his pants and wrapped his second arm around Izzy’s waist. “You’ve got to see it this way. If you’re going to fight for his life, it means that he’s well. Because you’re sitting here. You’re not fighting. That moment is still in your future.”

“It might be in the very near future,” Izzy sighed and his head dropped against Axl’s shoulder. He was so tired, Axl noticed. He had worried about Duff for such a long time, and who worried about Izzy? Who took care of him? “Try to sleep a bit,” he whispered. It was already getting dark and stars showed above them.

“We’re going to have a clear night.” Izzy observed. “It will be cold.”

“I’ll keep you warm.” Axl pulled one of the horse-blankets around both of their shoulders and shifted Izzy so he could lean more comfortably against him.

+++

Slowly Duff made his way into the cavern’s dark belly. The ring was telling him clearly the direction, like it had led him all the way from the castle to the dragon’s hiding. It was like his feet just knew where to go and Duff would not question their decision. It was pitch black, only the ring emanated a smoldering light. It was not bright enough to illuminate the cavern, but enough to make him see where he was placing his feet. 

Duff clenched his hand tightly around the sword-hilt and tried not to give in to the panic that was lurking in his mind, ready to take over the moment, he let his guard slip. Water dripped from the ceiling and ran down the walls, but apart from that the crunching of gravel under his boots was the only sound. The silence was nerve-wracking and Duff was tempted to start and sing like a child in a dark cellar. There was a dragon in there, and virgin or not, it might just be in a bad mood and kill him. Or maybe it didn’t even like virgins, who knew. With his luck, he might be about to encounter the only virgin-loathing dragon in the world. And was the whole concept valid for a man anyway?

Duff would have felt better if Izzy had been there. Izzy, faithful and loyal who as long as he could think had never let him down. But this was his task, not Izzy’s, and for the first time Duff felt completely alone. 

He jumped as something touched his neck, but it was only a water drop that had found its way through his hair to bare skin. Duff took a deep breath and walked on, around a bend and found his way blocked by a huge rock. There was no chance he could step around it. Duff wondered if there was another way. If he climbed over and jumped down at the other side, he might not be able to get back, but the ring pulled him clearly forward. He sheathed his sword and started climbing. The rock was pretty uneven and he found hold for his hands and feet. He was just pulling himself up to a small ledge when the rock suddenly started to move and a giant eye opened directly in front of him.

Duff yelped in shock. He lost his hold and fell down several feet, landing flat on his back and hitting his head on the ground. He did not wait for the pain to ease, but jumped up, drew his sword and plunged it directly into the dragon in front of him.

The beast roared. Fire and smoke flared form its nostrils and blew Duff to the ground. He crept along on all fours, coughing and fighting for air while stones and sand rained down on him. His eyes were burning from the smoke and he had lost his orientation. His sword had fallen from his hands and the earth quaked as the dragon rose and made a few steps forward. Or backward?

Duff searched for shelter and found it near the cavern’s wall. If the dragon stepped onto him, he was done for. 

He cowered there, arms wrapped around his legs, and waited for his vision to clear. It seemed to take ages until the smoke dispersed. Where was the dragon? Had he scared it away? With one thrust of his sword? Duff had never imagined it to be that huge. If he’d had the slightest notion, he would have shitted his pants, walking into this cavern.

“Ah, there you are,” a deep, rough voice growled and Duff stared at the giant head that was hovering only inches in front of him.

+++

Axl jumped when he heard the rumble from the cavern

“What’s that?” Izzy rose from sleep with a jolt. He instantly reached for his sword, but calmed, when everything became quiet again.

“I don’t know,” Axl replied. He shifted and kept his eyes on the entrance. 

Hesitantly Izzy leant back into Axl’s arms. He shivered and Axl could feel the tension in his body. 

“All quiet again.” Izzy’s eyes remained glued to the cave’s entrance and Axl wished he could just put him back to sleep. It had felt so good to have him lie sleeping in his arms, full of trust that Axl would keep guard. 

“Maybe the beast just burped in its sleep.”

“Maybe.” 

They fell quiet. None of them seemed inclined to sleep again, they just sat there, huddled together and waiting. Duff had been gone for quite some time and Axl’s nerve was starting to wear thin. He had expected things to go faster, patience wasn’t exactly his strong suit. If it weren’t for Izzy he would have started pacing by now, cursing, yelling. But Izzy was nervous enough without someone upsetting him further.

“May I ask you something?” Axl asked when he couldn’t bear the silence any longer. “Why is Miranda so angry with Duff? What did he do?”

“Duff?” Izzy heaved a sigh. “Nothing. He’s his father’s son, that’s all. The king and Miranda were lovers at one time, before Duff was born. She had already been convinced that she’d become queen. Then, the king met Duff’s mother and married her. Miranda didn’t take it well.”

“That’s all?” Axl asked surprised. “Man, I thought, there must have been something really horrible going on.”

“No.” Izzy shook his head. “Just unrequited love and hurt pride. Mainly hurt pride I would say.”

Izzy’s head sank against Axl’s shoulder and Axl’s hand automatically came up to smooth the dark hair. It was soft under his hands, tousled by the wind and it smelled sharp and wild like the land around them.

“It will be all right, Izzy,” he said. 

“You sure?” Izzy looked up at him. Axl could hardly make out his brown eyes in the darkness, but he knew they were asking for reassurance.

“Absolutely,” he said and his lips touched Izzy’s. Yes, everything would be all right. It just had to be.

+++

Duff closed his eyes as the dragon blew hot breath into his face. He pressed his back against the wall behind him and tried to pull back even further into himself while the beast sniffed at him. 

“Fire and smoke,” he rumbled and Duff tentatively opened his eyes. “A virgin!” The dragon pulled back and rose to his full height. His head nearly touched the ceiling, he was truly impressive. “Now, is that a way to behave, young man?” he asked sternly.

“I’m... I’m s... sorry,” Duff stammered, surprised that he still had a voice. 

“Hm.” The dragon eyed Duff with huge, yellow but not at all unfriendly eyes. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been visited by a virgin. Must be more than a hundred years. Come a bit nearer so I can have a proper look at you.”

Duff hesitated, but only for a second. If the dragon wanted to kill him, he could do it anyway, so there was really no risk in complying. He stood up and brushed dust and sand from his clothes. Then he walked over and settled on a rock between the dragon’s paws. 

“I’m Duff,” he said. “My father is the King of Kagan.”

“And why did you prick me with your sword, little Prince Duff of Kagan?” the dragon asked.

“It was a reflex,” Duff said. “Which is no excuse of course. I do apologize.”

“No harm done,” the dragon said, obviously mollified. “You are a pretty, little thing you know.”

“Thank you,” Duff replied politely. It was strange to receive compliments from a dragon. And nobody had called him little since he’d outgrown almost everybody else in the castle. Even Izzy had stopped calling him “little Duffy”, since he had to tip his head back to look Duff in the eye.

“Why are you still a virgin? I thought chastity was out of fashion.” The dragon lowered his head and sniffed again at Duff’s hair. “Not that I’m complaining, nothing smells like a virgin.”

“Oh, that was by no means my decision,” Duff said and explained about the curse. 

“How sad.” 

Duff jumped as the dragon’s tail came around and touched his shoulder. He still felt a bit uncomfortable. This was a dragon after all, no matter how friendly he behaved. It could be all a game to him, playing with his prey like a cat with a mouse. 

“You don’t just happen to step by, do you? I’m sure you are here for a reason, jumpy and nervous as you are.” 

“Yes.” Duff admitted. “I need your help.” To his surprise, a smile appeared on the dragon’s face. He hadn’t known, that dragons could smile. It was hard to see as his face was crumpled and uneven like a weathered rock, but it was undoubtedly a smile. 

“When I was younger, it happened more often that a virgin came to me for help. It stopped eventually, which I truly regret. I always liked them, pretty, little things like you.”

“That may be, because, the virgins started to disappear, or so I heard,” Duff retorted carefully. 

The dragon snorted and Duff coughed at the smoke that streamed from his nostrils. “That was Ragnar,” he said. “He was a nutter. When he started eating them, he ruined the reputation of a whole species. Before that, virgins and dragons got along very well. Now, it’s different, there are the dragon slayers and the virgins won’t come and visit anymore. It’s all a big misunderstanding.”

“That’s a shame,” Duff said. “But if you help me, I’ll do whatever I can to restore your reputation.”

“That’s kind of you, little Prince.” The dragon’s smile widened and his tail brushed against Duff’s back. “What can I do for you.”

“You see,” Duff started, unsure how to best explain this. “Today was supposed to be my wedding-day.”

“Did she run away?” The dragon asked. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know, if I can help you there.”

“No.” Duff shook his head. “It’s not a she, it’s a he, and he was kidnapped by Miranda. You know her, do you?”

“Sure.” The dragon nodded. “A man? You are going to marry a man? Do they allow that these days?”

“Uhm, not really,” Duff said. “It was born out of necessity, because of the curse. But I do love Slash and I want him back. I need the key to Miranda’s hiding and I heard that you are guarding it.”

“Yes, that’s true,” the dragon confirmed. “But I don’t know, if I should just give it to you. She’s a powerful witch and I don’t want to get cross with her.”

“If you don’t give me the key, I’m going to die tomorrow,” Duff said and looked at the dragon, trying to make his eyes appear big and sad. Then he let his head hang down and hunched his shoulders a bit. It was a dirty trick he sometimes played on Izzy. It never failed to show the desired effect since he had started to practice it in front of the mirror. Maybe it worked with dragons, too. 

“Ah, whatever,” the dragon said. “I’ve never been able to say no to a virgin, might as well give you the key now.” He lifted a scale on his chest and pulled something out. “Here you are,” he said and handed the key to Duff. 

“Thank you!” Duff said happily. He cast the dragon one of his best, sweetest smiles and the creature eyed him full of tenderness. Duff couldn’t believe his luck. He had the key! “I would really like to stay and chat a bit,” he said, but I don’t have much time, I’ve got to find Slash.” He picked up his sword and sheathed it. 

“Yes, find your boy,” the dragon grinned, and his tail tapped encouragingly against Duff’s shoulder. “I hope you’re successful, you’re a nice young man. Will you come back and visit me?”

“Uhm,” Duff hesitated. He didn’t mind visiting the dragon, but... “If I’m successful, I won’t be a virgin anymore,” he objected. “Would you devour me?”

“Usually, yes, but I’ll make an exception,” the dragon smirked. “For you, I can do that. And bring your man when you come, I’ve got a present for the two of you.”

“A present?” Duff asked curiously. “What present?”

“After all these years of enforced abstinence, I figure, you have a lot to catch up on. Your Slash will need the prowess of a stallion to satisfy that and I know this neat little spell to help him. I used to like it a lot when I was younger, but didn’t really have the occasion to use it lately.”

“Oh,” Duff blushed. This was a bit embarrassing. Of course, he was looking forward to _that_ part of the marriage. It had gotten kind of frustrating to needle Izzy for details without being able to try himself. At least, he had a pretty good theoretical knowledge and was keen to get to practice, but to have Slash under a spell like that was a bit frightening. He seemed capable enough without additional encouragement. “I’m sure he is up to the job, but thank you anyway,” he said. “I can come and visit together with Slash. I’m sure, you’ll like each other.”

“You do that.” The dragon bowed his head and nearly touched Duff’s face with his nostrils. “Good luck, little Prince Duff. And don’t forget your promise.”

+++

Izzy watched the first touches of gray appear behind the mountains. In one or two hours, the sun would paint the sky red and Duff hadn’t come back, yet. Axl was asleep in his lap, he had nodded off hours ago and Izzy had quietly settled to hold watch over him. 

It was strange that they should have grown so close within only one night, especially within a night like this, where worry and fear were the predominant things on Izzy’s mind. When Axl had kissed him, he had felt an unknown emotion run through him, one that was frightening and heady at the same time. It was different from the feelings he had for Duff. It was something wild and untamed that left him with the wish to take and to conquer. With Duff everything was sweet and full of loving gentleness. Izzy didn’t understand what it meant exactly, Axl wasn’t his type. Not at all. He was quite a handful, demanding, capricious and unpredictable. It couldn’t be love, because Izzy loved Duff and always would. So why did he feel this burning desire for his prince inside his heart, when at the same time, he wanted to hold Axl, stroke his silky, red hair and kiss him until his face lightened up with pure happiness? 

Izzy had had hours to think about his emotions, but he hadn’t come to a conclusion. Axl stirred in his arms and he decided to let it be for the moment. 

“Good morning,” he murmured and ran a hand through Axl’s hair. 

“’s still not back?” Axl sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he yawned and noticed the dawning day behind the mountains. “We should go looking for him.”

“I know,” Izzy said, forcing his voice to remain calm. Duff was in trouble, there was no more denying it. If he was still alive, he had gotten caught or was locked in somewhere. It was time to get him back. 

Axl stood up and stretched his arms over his head. Izzy followed suit. He checked on the horses and thought about letting them loose. If Duff had been eaten, chances were high that he and Axl would suffer the same fate. Izzy had just bent down to cut the first rope, when he heard Axl scream. He jumped and reached for his sword, but then it registered, that they weren’t scared or angry screams.

“Duff!” Izzy dropped his sword and ran. Duff looked horrible, but he was alive, alive and standing on his own feet. He caught the prince in his arms and nearly lifted him off the ground, not caring that he was sullying his own clothes with the dirt, Duff was covered in.

“Uff, Izzy,” Duff protested. “Let me down.”

“You all right?” Izzy asked breathless. “What happened? Do you have the key?”

Duff reached into his pocket and proudly presented a large, silver key. Axl shouted with joy and snatched it away. 

“Great Gods,” he cheered and watched Duff with a mixture of awe and pride. “How did you get it? Did you kill the dragon? How big was he? Why don’t you say anything?”

“Can I go and wash first?” Duff asked, but Izzy saw the smugness in his eyes. Not even Duff was modest enough to not feel the urge to brag about a victory like this. “I have dirt and sand almost everywhere and it’s itching like hell.”

“Go wash,” Izzy said and stopped Axl’s protest with a hand over his mouth. “You can tell us everything while you’re eating. You were gone for an awful long time.”

Duff had already turned towards the stream, but now he stopped and looked around as if he saw his surroundings for the first time.

“Is this the next morning?” he asked. “I thought I was no longer gone than maybe an hour.”

“Make that twelve,” Axl said dryly. “We were just about to come in and get you.”

“That’s strange.” Duff shook his head, but Izzy wasn’t surprised.

“Dragon-time,” he said. “There are people who got lost in a dragon-cave and came back years later. Their hair had turned gray and they felt like they had been gone for no more than a day.”


	6. The Fight

“You sure, the door is here?” Axl asked for at least the fifth time. 

They stood in front of a large, smooth rock face and Izzy found it hard to believe that they had indeed found the entrance to Miranda’s hiding. 

“The ring says, yes,” Duff repeated patiently, also for at least the fifth time.

They had tried to put the key into each single crack, had felt up the wall, had knocked around for hollow sounds, nothing. The thing was as solid as it looked and Izzy had absolutely no idea how they should pass. 

“Maybe the ring is wrong,” Axl suggested, while he knocked his knuckles bloody on the rock. “Or it’s the wrong key.”

“I don’t think so.” Duff’s face had obtained a slightly worried expression. It was just past dawn, but they still had a witch to fight in order to free Slash. “Maybe it’s a trick?”

“Fuck,” Axl muttered and tried for the hundredth time to find a hole. “This is insane, I give up.” Angrily, he smashed the key against the wall.

It started as a low rumble. Izzy pushed Duff behind himself and reached for Axl’s arm to pull him away from the wall. Eyes wide, they stood and watched as a crack appeared in the smooth surface. It elongated quickly, ran down the wall and within seconds, they stood in front of a wide gate. 

Axl put his hand against the door and it swung open without any resistance.

“I don’t believe this,” Izzy said and barked a short laugh. 

“What are we waiting for?” Axl asked excited. “Let’s get in and kick some asses.”

Izzy insisted that he went first, followed by Duff while Axl walked at the end. They stepped through the gate and into a wide illuminated corridor. Torches burned in iron holders and Izzy could make out a second door at the far end.

“That way?” he asked and Duff nodded. 

Their steps echoed hollowly back from the walls and Izzy wondered, if their coming had already been announced. Miranda was a witch, it was naive to think they could try and surprise her.

“This is scary,” Axl mumbled. “Why are there no guards?”

“Because, the mistress does only need me!” A deep voice said.

Izzy stopped cold and Duff bumped into him. The figure in front of them, clad in black clothes, had appeared out of nowhere. He was a giant of a man, taller and surely heavier than Duff. His face was covered by a hood and a sword shone in his hand. 

This was the moment, Izzy realized. This, he had been trained for all his life. Here, he would fight for Duff’s life. The prophecy had finally come true.

“We’ll see,” he said and drew his sword. 

“Ready to die, little warrior?” the black man laughed. 

Izzy was about to step forward, when Axl appeared suddenly at his side.

“No,” Izzy said. “This is my fight. You can’t help me here.”

“You don’t expect me to stand by and watch, do you?” Axl asked angrily. “That guy is a fucking giant, you can’t take him on your own.”

“It’s my fate,” Izzy replied sternly. “And don’t you dare interfere.”

“Izzy’s right,” Duff said, but his voice trembled softly. “This is the way it is done. It’s always been like this, one by one.”

“You know what?” Axl said. “I don’t give a shit!”

With that, he stormed forward. Izzy stood for a moment’s shock, then he ran, too, followed by Duff and all three of them jumped at the black man, knocking him over. Axl grabbed the man’s throat and squeezed with all the strength of his skinny body, Duff got hold of the legs and Izzy threw himself across the torso. Eventually, the warrior stopped his struggles, and Axl unclenched his fingers. They tied the man’s hands and feet with a piece of rope Izzy had brought and rolled him out of the way.

“That was ridiculously easy,” Axl gasped and brushed the hair out of his face. “What kind of guardian is that?”

“That was completely against each and every rule,” Izzy hissed. “Three on one, is that the way they do it in Roseland?”

“No,” Axl grinned. “That’s the way, I do it.”

Izzy was truly exasperated, but nevertheless, he thought that Axl looked gorgeous. His green eyes were sparkling and his thin, red hair was sticking to his face. He was definitely having too much fun, as if this quest was no more than one big adventure.

“It was effective, wasn’t it?” Duff piped and Izzy cast him a surprised look. Duff was spending too much time in bad company.

“We need to find Slash,” he reminded himself and the others of their task. “Now. We don’t have an eternity.” He opened the door, the warrior had blocked and stepped directly into a large, heavily ornamented room. Thick carpets covered the floor and the furniture would have honored a king’s castle. 

“You’ve made it.” Miranda stood in the middle, eyeing them with mild curiosity and a good portion of arrogance. “I never thought you would make it past the dragon. Is he dead? I can’t see his cave in the crystal-ball, it is shielded against witchcraft.”

Izzy didn’t bother to answer. He still had one thing left to do, before his part in this story was done. He took the vial, Ludmila had given him, pulled the cork and threw it into Miranda’s face. The pale shimmering fluid sloshed over her and the witch screamed shrilly as she tired to wipe the potion off her body. Izzy lifted his sword and rested the tip against her chest. 

“This is your last day on earth,” he said, but to his surprise, he felt Duff’s hand on his arm, stopping him.

“No,” the prince said. “Don’t do it.”

“But Duff...”, Izzy looked at him in utter astonishment. “This is a onetime chance.”

“Yeah,” Axl agreed. “Kill her.”

“No.” Duff shook his head. “I don’t want her blood on your hands. She can’t harm us anymore and after today, her curse won’t hold any power over me. Let her live.”

“We may regret this,” Izzy said, but he knew Duff. He was no man for killings. 

“Please,” the prince said softly and his eyes turned wide and dark.

“But just because it’s your birthday,” Izzy said. “Help me to lock her in somewhere.”

+++

Slash heard the voices outside his dungeon. He heard the yelling, the shouting and he knew what it meant. Restlessly, he tucked at his chains. He was at the same time giddy with joy and scared to death. Then the door burst open, and there they stood: Duff, Axl and Duff’s friend Izzy, dirty, exhausted and panting like race-horses. He had never seen a more beautiful picture in his life.

“Slash!” Duff yelled and threw himself into his arms. Slash caught him as good as he could with his hands tied together, and tried to keep his bearings under the assault. 

“How much time do we have left?” he asked while Axl removed the shackles.

“Not much.” Izzy had briefly left the dungeon, now he was back with a stack of blankets and dropped them on the floor. “I’m sorry, Duff, I’m sure this isn’t what you had in mind for your wedding-night. You two get your thing done in here, and Axl and me guard the door. The witch may be out of the way, but I still don’t trust her.”

“Where is she?” Slash asked. “I need her for a moment.”

“What for?” Duff asked curiously. 

“Uhm.” Slash would have preferred to discuss this without Axl in the same room. “She, uhm put a spell on me, I might ... not be able to... you know.”

“The ‘limp-dick-spell’?” Axl sputtered and Slash hoped nobody noticed him blushing. “That’s not so bad, it wears off in a day or two.”

“What?” Izzy asked and stared at Axl in utter disbelief

“I, uhm, have some experiences with it. Our wizard did it to me once. When I annoyed him.” Now Axl was deep red, too.

“We don’t have a day or two!” Izzy yelled. “And I blocked Miranda’s magic powers. She can’t undo the spell!”

“Oh, all right,” Slash said and decided not to mention the second part of the spell. Duff would be able to fuck him, there had to be a way. If it hurt, so be it, he could take it. “Duff just has to do me or do I have to come, too?”

“Don’t think so,” Izzy said and heaved a relieved sigh. “We’ll leave you alone, then.”

Slash nodded and put an arm around Duff. 

“Axl! You want to watch or what?” Izzy took Axl’s arm and pulled him out of the room. They were alone.

“I’m so glad, I’ve got you back.” Duff hugged him and Slash kissed his pretty face. 

“We should see to it,” he said gently. 

They settled on the makeshift bed and Slash kissed him again. He didn’t feel the slightest sexual stimulation, all he could do was give his best at turning Duff on. They would have to have their real wedding-night some other time. Duff responded eagerly and Slash slipped his hand under his vest and shirt. 

“Let me help you,” he mumbled and stripped Duff out of his clothes. His skin was all pale and smooth. Slash could see the beauty in it, but it was frustrating that he remained utterly cold. Duff’s fingers nestled at his shirt and Slash took off his own garments. He rolled Duff onto his back and took his already erect cock into his mouth. Did a whore feel like this? All cold and detached? Duff however, did respond. He grew hard quickly and Slash decided not to prolong things. He was dealing with a virgin and risks were high that Duff would just come in his mouth and then they had a real problem.

“You ready, Duff?” Slash asked. Duff was panting slightly and his eyes appeared even darker in the dim torchlight.

“Are you?” he asked back and his voice was raspy with arousal.

“For you? Always,” Slash smirked. It was a lie, but only a small one. As soon as the spell wore off, it would be the utter truth. 

“Don’t we need lube or something?” Duff asked when Slash lay down on his belly. 

“Use spittle,” he said. “And just push in, don’t try to be gentle or something. I’ve done this before. You won’t hurt me.”

+++

“Can’t we bring the divan?” Axl muttered as they settled on the cold stone-steps in front of the dungeon. But he wasn’t really angry, in fact, he felt rather content. For once, nobody would call him whiny or prissy or whatever. This had been dangerous as hell. He could have gotten killed and he had come out of it as the winner. Plus, for once, Slash had all the embarrassing parts to himself. Getting kidnapped by a witch, sitting in a dungeon like a damsel in distress and to top things, the limp-dick-spell. It was hilarious. 

“How long do you think, they will need?” Izzy asked back. “We are not going to camp here.”

“Don’t be so grumpy,” Axl grumbled and tried to get more comfortable. “You are still angry because of the guard, aren’t you?” 

“No.” Izzy rubbed his eyes. “Yes,” he said then and faced Axl. “You ruined my show! I could have come home as the hero and now? What did I get all that sword-training for? Do you have an idea how much the king has paid for teachers? I was meant to fucking kill that bastard, and you ruined everything.”

“Sorry,” Axl said. “If I had known, that you were so keen on getting a sword into your belly, I would have stepped back. I had no idea the intention of this undertaking was to spatter your guts all over the place.

“Fff,” Izzy made and Axl couldn’t stifle a smile. Did Izzy know, how cute he was when he was gruntling like a miserable old man?

Axl leant against him and rested his head on his shoulder.

“We could just make it up, you know,” he said, trying to give his voice that rough, sexy timbre he had practiced together with Slash. 

“You would do that!” Izzy snorted, but put his arm around Axl’s shoulder. 

“For you,” Axl breathed. “You know, if you want to be a hero, you could always work on my curse. By using your … other sword.”

“Your curse?” Izzy asked, worry evident in his voice.

“It’s not that bad. It just says, that I’ll only find love in the arms of another man.”

“Where’s the curse in that?” Izzy asked and Axl contemplated thumping him. Then he decided to just forget it. Nobody was taking his curse serious. Why should Izzy be any different.

“I think, it is going to be fulfilled every minute.” He rubbed his head over Izzy’s shoulder.

“You do that?” Izzy’s voice had developed a slight catch. 

“Yes,” Axl purred. “Maybe it’s Ludmila’s blessing. I’ve found what I’ve been looking for.” He felt Izzy’s arms tighten around his body and wondered, how far he could go. “Aren’t you happy?” he asked, when Izzy sighed. He nestled a bit closer, not willing to break the contact. “Is it because of Duff? You’re still in love with him?”

“Yes, no,” Izzy mumbled. “No, I think, I’m over it. These five days have been pretty rough and they have given me the time to accept what I can’t change. It was never meant to be. I still love him, but not that way. I just feel so... useless.”

“Useless?” Axl sat up. “Why do you feel useless?”

“It has always been my job to protect Duff,” Izzy said and his voice sounded pretty pathetic, like he just wanted to be miserable. “What do I do now? Now that Slash is there to take my place?”

“Slash isn’t taking you place,” Axl replied. “You’re Duff’s friend, he will always need you.”

“But not the way he used to do.”

“You could always protect me,” Axl suggested, trying to let it sound like a joke. For once, he was unsure about himself. Izzy had reacted to him, but maybe only for comfort. Because he couldn’t have Duff.

“What do you mean by that?” Izzy looked at Axl and he looked as insecure as Axl felt. 

“You could come with me,” he said and caught his breath. 

“As your warrior?” 

“As my lover,” Axl corrected. Was Izzy that stupid or didn’t he understand. “And as my consort.”

Izzy stared at him in utter confusion. He opened his mouth to say something, closed it again, opened it anew and shook his head in desperation.

“Did you... did you just propose?”

“No, Izzy,” Axl said exasperated. “It’s just the kind of suggestion I make to everybody I happen to fight witches and dragons with.”

“In that case,” Izzy took a deep breath and Axl watched him blush. “I am honored to accept.”

“I don’t want you to be honored.” Axl pulled his lips into a pout. “I want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” Izzy said and all of a sudden, he was grinning all over his face. It was the first time, Axl saw him express more than a sad smile. “But I’ve always imagined my bride in a white dress, you know.”

“You imagined Duff in a white dress?” Axl shook his head. “That is sick, man, I hope you know that. But if you insist, I can wear a dress for you.”

“Axl,” Izzy said. “Shut up and kiss me already.”

+++

“Really, Slash, you need to relax a bit more.” Duff said again. 

And Slash tried to do exactly that, tried so hard, he nearly got cramps from it, but so far Duff hadn’t even managed to get a finger in.

“Try again,” Slash said. “It’s got to go.”

“No, it doesn’t.” 

Slash turned his head and looked at the prince. Duff had sat back on his ankles and stared at the wall in front of him. He looked so tired, so exhausted. 

“I’m just too stupid for that.”

“No.” Slash sat up in an instant and pulled him into his arms. Duff rested his head against his naked shoulder and buried his face in Slash’s curls. “It’s the spell,” Slash said. “It’s not you. Miranda told me so, I just thought, there had to be a way to do it.” 

“Why can’t she leave me alone?” Duff asked, tears in his voice. 

Slash started to rock him gently. He knew what he had to do, had known some time ago, when it had become clear that they wouldn’t be able to have sex. 

“I’ll get Axl.”

“What?” Duff looked up. 

“Axl. He’s of royal blood, too.” Slash let his hair fall into his face and refused to meet Duff’s eyes. 

“No,” Duff gasped. “Under no circumstances.”

“Duff...” Slash started.

“No! The spell is going to wear off tomorrow, we’ll wait.”

“Tomorrow is too late!” 

Duff flinched at the harsh tone and Slash wished there would be anything he could do.

“I survived before.” Duff’s voice was adamant. “I say, we’ll wait.”

“You are not going to survive,” Slash replied “Miranda said, it will be your heart this time.”

“That’s not true.” 

“Why would I lie to you?”

“No.” Duff shook his head and Slash pulled him back into his arms. “No!” Duff sobbed. He tried to push Slash away and the tears he had fought were flowing freely. “No, that’s not true. It’s not!”

Slash held him tight until the struggles ceased and Duff became limp. There was nothing he could say, so he settled for soothing little noises and hugged Duff as tightly as he could. He kissed the messy blond hair and killed his own tears before they reached his eyes. If he started to cry, too, Duff would never give in to Axl. 

“Please,” he whispered, trying to wrap his arms even more tightly around the prince. “Don’t do this to me. Don’t force me to watch you die. I wouldn’t survive it. Please, let me get Axl.”

Duff’s sobs eased eventually but the trembling didn’t stop.

“I’ll fetch him.”

Slash dislodged himself from Duff and took his face into his hands. There was so much pain there, so much hurt and despair. But also something that was completely new, something dark. Too dark for Duff.

“Ask him, if he wants to,” the prince said and his voice sounded completely dead. It hurt Slash more than all the tears and crying had. “And then, I will go and kill that witch.”

“All right.” Slash nodded. He kissed Duff’s forehead and stood up to put on his clothes. “I’ll get Axl.”

Leaving Duff behind on the floor was the hardest, Slash had ever done in his life. He felt like his legs were filled with lead and even the few steps to the door seemed almost too much. 

Axl and Izzy were sitting on the stone-steps. Izzy looked a bit flustered and Axl seemed happier than Slash had seen him in a very long time.

“Are you done?” Axl asked. “Can we go home? It’s really a bit uncomfortable here.”

“No,” Slash replied and looked at the floor. “It didn’t work.”

“What do you mean, it didn’t work?” Izzy stood up and Slash tried to evade the upset look he gave him. 

“It’s the spell,” Slash mumbled and felt like an idiot. “It doesn’t work either way”

For a moment, it was dead silent. 

“What do we do now?” Axl asked.

“You’ve got to do it,” Slash brought out. 

“Me? I won’t ...” But Slash wasn’t in the mood for a discussion. And he wasn’t going to beg. 

“For God’s sake, Axl!” he yelled. “Just go in and do it. For once in your life, do something that’s not selfish. Maybe it was never meant to be me, maybe it had to be you right from the beginning and we could have saved ourselves all this bullshit if you had just given in.”

“But I ... I.” For once, Axl was speechless. His eyes flickered from Slash to Izzy, back to Slash and again to Izzy. Why was this so hard on him, why couldn’t he just do it? It was pure torture for Slash and still, Axl did not move.

“Do it,” Izzy said and his shoulders slumped. He looked like he was breaking down under his own weight any minute, looked exactly the way, Slash felt. And it dawned on him, what was wrong.

The door was torn open and all three men jumped to stare at Duff who, panting and only partly dressed, stumbled out.

“I’m such an idiot!” he said and pulled his shirt over his head. “How could I forget. The dragon!”

“What dragon?” Slash asked confused, but Axl shook his head and he fell quiet. 

“What about the dragon?” Izzy asked. 

“Dragon spells are stronger than witch spells,” Duff explained impatiently. “Everybody knows that.”

“A dragon doesn’t know more than a handful of spells,” Izzy replied, clearly unwilling to give in to another useless hope. It was true, dragon spells were strong, but Slash had no idea how that was going to help them.

“But this dragon knows the right one!” Duff took Slash’s hand and pulled him towards the exit.

“How do you know that?” Izzy yelled, as he and Axl followed them through the corridor to the front gate. 

“Because, he told me so!” Duff replied.

“Duff?” Slash pulled at the prince’s hand and stood. “What dragon?”

“A very friendly one.” Duff smiled. “You’ll like him.”

+++

“Duff?” 

“Please, not again.” Duff whined. He was sore, he was tired, he wanted to sleep. His back protested against the hard floor and although, he had been lying on his coat, it felt as if a million pebbles were embedded into his flesh. How often had Slash taken him? Six, seven times? The first two or three times, he had really enjoyed, but a man could only take so much. He was spent, milked dry, unable to give any more.

“Poor baby,” Slash kissed him and Duff felt his erection poke into his belly. Would it ever end?

With a sigh, he reached down and jerked Slash off. Not that it would help for longer than a few minutes. The dragon had done a good job and Duff shouldn’t complain. He didn’t, he was just exhausted. Slash wasn’t rough with him, he had been so careful not to hurt him, but it was simply getting too much. The prospect of the long ride home became more and more of a threat.

“We should go, “ Duff said between kisses. Even his lips felt bruised and his neck and shoulders were covered in love bites. “Really, Slash, Axl and Izzy are waiting. And it’s dangerous to spend too much time in a dragon’s cave.”

Slash heaved a sigh and pulled back. “You’re right,” he said. “It’s a pity, but you’re right.”

The dragon had been so kind to show them a little niche, separated from his own large dwelling, where they had been alone. 

Duff groaned, when he tried to get up, and Slash helped him to his feet.

“Have I been too rough?” he asked and Duff was tempted to smack him. But Slash put an arm around his waist and kissed his cheek with so much tenderness, that he couldn’t be angry. 

“No,” he said and kissed Slash back. The spell would be gone soon and Slash’s needs would reduce to those of a normal man. And what was a little soreness against the love that had come with it? With careful steps, he limped towards the exit.

“Where’s the dragon?” Slash asked and jumped when a huge rock started to move. “You can give a guy a heart attack with that,” he said and the dragon gave him a smile.

“You enjoyed your gift?” he asked.

“Very!” Slash replied. “It’s a pity it lasts only a day.”

“You could always come back,” the dragon suggested.

“No,” Duff groaned. “I mean, we’ll come and visit, but not for that.”

“Good-bye, little Prince Duff,” the dragon said and lowered his head down to him. “it was a pleasure to meet you.”

“It was my pleasure,” Duff said and laid his hand onto the scaly nose. “I’ll keep my promise. No dragon will be slain in the land of Kagan for as long as I live.”

“Isn’t he a nice, little thing?” the dragon said and winked at Slash. “You take good care of him, do you hear?” Tiny smoke clouds flared from his nostrils.

“I will,” Slash promised. “And thank you for everything.”

“Why can’t we repeat this?” Slash asked, while Duff limped beside him to the exit.

“Because, dragon spells are dangerous.” Everybody knew that. “You never know what derives from them.”

“No?” Slash smirked. “I think, I know very well what derived from this one.”

“Yeah?” Duff sneered. “Repeat that a few times and you might find yourself blessed with a never-dwindling erection. For the rest of your life.”

“Paradise,” Slash sighed.

“And only me to use it on,” Duff added and leant a bit heavier onto Slash’s supporting arm. 

“As I said,” Slash said and pulled Duff closely against his body. “Paradise.”

“Daylight!” Duff sighed contently, when they reached the exit. He closed his eyes against the bright sunlight, enjoyed the warmth on his skin, and stretched his tired limbs.

“Hey, Axl!” Slash yelled and Duff saw the redheaded prince wave at them from his seat on a large stone slab.

“We didn’t expect to see you before next week!” he shouted and Duff felt himself blush.

“Izzy!” Axl yelled. “They’re back”

Izzy came over from the horses, looking content and relaxed. It had been a long time since Duff had seen him so carefree.

“Duff,” Izzy said and hugged him. Then he hugged Slash, and Duff hugged Axl and Axl hugged Slash, until they were all lying in a heap on the ground, giggling like teenagers.

“What have you been up to?” Duff asked and to his surprise, Izzy blushed. 

“You want me to show you?” Slash whispered into his ear.

“Oh,” Duff said. “That.”

Axl threw his arm around Izzy and pecked him onto his cheek. “I’m taking him with me, Duff,” he said. 

“But not immediately,” Izzy soothed and ruffled Duff’s hair. “In a few weeks.”

“Really, Izzy,” Duff replied. “I’d never have guessed.” But he was happy for Izzy, although there was a little sting at the prospect of Izzy leaving him. He would have an awful lot of visits to make. 

+++

Axl watched Duff's stiff movements and felt a pang of sympathy. Izzy was well versed in handling his sword. Both his swords. Which was a result of ample practice, he had claimed. Sword practice would remain a huge part of his life, he had said. And that he would need a sparring partner.

He wondered what his father would say. Laws that had to be changed. A wedding had to be prepared. Guests had to be invited, declarations to be made. And not to forget, the tailor had to come in. Because Axl was in urgent need of a white dress. 

The End.


End file.
